Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Profile of Pre-conceptional Women At Risk for GHD

Launched by HASSELT UNIVERSITY · May 25, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is focused on understanding how physical activity affects the heart health of women who are at risk of developing gestational hypertension (GHD) in future pregnancies. GHD is a condition that can occur during pregnancy, leading to high blood pressure and other complications. The researchers want to see if regular exercise can improve the cardiovascular profile, which means the overall health of the heart and blood vessels, in these women before they become pregnant.

To be eligible for this study, participants need to be women aged 18 and older, who are not pregnant, and who have specific risk factors for developing GHD. These risk factors include having a high body weight, a family history of pregnancy-related high blood pressure, or previous health issues like diabetes or high blood pressure. Women will be asked to engage in physical activity and then their heart health will be evaluated before and after this exercise. It’s important for participants to be able to understand Dutch and not be involved in other studies that could affect the results. This trial is currently recruiting participants, and it offers a chance to potentially improve heart health through exercise.

Gender

FEMALE

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• * Women at risk for the development of GHD in subsequent pregnancy based on the presence of at least one of the following risk factors:
• • high body mass index (BMI\>30 kg/m²)
• • a family history of PE (mother, sister)
• • in the need of assisted reproduction techniques in a previous or subsequent pregnancy
• • maternal comorbidities: prior PE, diabetes mellitus, chronic hypertension, chronic kidney disease or antiphospholipid syndrome
• • Non-pregnant (as confirmed by a negative pregnancy urine dipstick test)
• • Age ≥ 18 years
• • Being able to understand the Dutch language
• Exclusion Criteria:
• Participants eligible for this study must not meet any of the following criteria:
• • Pregnant at inclusion
• • Not being able to exercise according to physician's decision
• • Suffering from underlying diseases that can affect the CV profile such as oncological diseases coronary heart disease, aortic disease, peripheral arterial disease
• • Participating in another clinical study that may alter the results of this study